Like last year's fantastic IL-2 Sturmovik, Flanker 2.5 was developed in Russia and focuses on Soviet-made warplanes. The new version includes some solid new missions that take place in the Crimean peninsula, and the game has had robust continued community support, including some good fan-made scenarios. The primary flyable jets, notably the Su-27 Flanker and the MiG-29 Fulcrum, may not have much in the way of high-tech features, but their capabilities are well known, which makes it possible to simulate them to a very high degree of realism.

Much of Flanker 2.5's appeal is directly aimed at the serious sim fan. One new feature is aerial refueling, which requires as much finesse as you'd imagine. Also, the naval AI is improved over the earlier versions and lends itself to dynamic naval engagements during carrier-based operations. However, there is one nod to fun over realism in that you can now adjust the effectiveness of missiles. Given the limited early warning in the older Eastern bloc jets you'll be flying, it's refreshing not to necessarily give SAM sites one-shot-one-kill damage modeling. Overall, the game is another reminder of how some developers are continuing to produce quality simulations that don't just look good, but pack in quality gameplay.